As we sat waiting for her to go for an X-ray, Mom was saying what a heck of a way to spend what once was the happiest day in her life. She was nervous as they took her for her X-ray and I went to wait in the waiting room until she got back. As I walked into the waiting room there were several people in there also waiting for their relatives to finish with pre-op, when someone said "Oh my God, there is a fire in New York in one of the twin towers." As we gathered around the tv and listened to the breaking news, all we knew at that time was that a small plane had hit the tower.
Suddenly we saw the second plane hit! All of us in the room realized at that moment that this was no accident.Then we heard that a plane hit the Pentagon. By the time mom was back in the holding area to go for her surgery, we learned there was another flight missing. Flight 93. Instantly we kept praying "Please God let the other planes land safely."
Mom knew something was terribly wrong. The mood in the room was solemn. I assured her it had nothing to do with her but rather the world had gone crazy. Once they took her to surgery I stepped outside to call my children. I was most concerned with my twin daughters who were in Boston attending college at different schools. One lived not too far from the Prudential building so I wanted her to please be vigilant and to go stay with friends. The Prudential is the most visible on the Boston skyline so who knew if there were more targets.
My other daughter lived with 3 roommates, one from New Jersey and one from New York. Both knew people and relatives who worked in Manhattan. I was so busy attending to mom that I could not get to them until the next day.
In the days that followed, mom recuperated by watching the endless news coverage and of course prayed for all those whose lives were taken. She knew it was important for me to visit this group of girls.The most unnerving sight was to drive into Boston and not see a plane in the sky. There were state police stationed under the highways and very few trailor trucks on the roads.
Thankfully the roommates found out that all their friends and relatives were safe although not untouched by the attack. These poor girls were all huddled together on the couch, wrapped in blankets and every time they heard a police siren or fire truck they froze.
My other daughter found out 3 weeks later that one of her classmates had been among those on the Flight headed for L.A. She would have graduated with my daughter from Northeastern University.
Today, I visited my 86 year old mother in the hospital (yup, 10 years later and we are in the hospital again, lol, but this time for pneumonia). She is doing better so will be going home tomorrow. As I left her I reminded her that today was also a day of celebration. Today, she is a 10 year survivor of Breast cancer. For this I am very thankful but I shall never forget 9/11/2001.
